Vacuum cleaner



ct. 23, 1934-. H, A- KRQENLElN 1,978,158

.VACUUM CLEANER original Filed ooi. 11, 1932 Invehoov: Heng A-Kroenleim Patented Oct. 23, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VACUUM CLEANER Henry A. Kroenlein, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to Electric Vacuum Cleaner Company, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio,va corporation ci New York Original application October 11, 1932, Serial No.

Divided and this application June 15,

1933, Serial No. 675,888

8 Claims.

f I make. 'I'he noise is due in large part to the high speed of the motor and fan and to the vibrations incident thereto, such vibrations being caused wholly or largely by the lack of absolute dynamic balance.

My invention has for its object the provision `of a resilient mounting for the motor and fan to the end that the vibrations thereof will not be transmitted to the supporting base, and to the provision of resilient sealing means between the fan chamber and the motor housing.

For a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention is directed to the accompanying description and the claims appended thereto.

In the drawing which is illustrative of my invention, Fig. 1 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of my improved cleaner; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of the motor supporting ring; Fig. 3 is a sectional view of one of the cushions, and Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of part of a sealing ring. n

4 indicates the base or floor piece o f the cleaner which is cast in one piece of aluminum or other light weight material. Its walls are thick enough so as to be not readily set into vibration by the air flowing through the passages therein. In the front is a nozzle 5 having front and rear lips 6 and 7. In the rear of the base is an outlet conduit 8 to receive the dirt filtering bag or other separating device. 9 indicates a partition which divides the base into two chambered parts. The lower chamber is in direct communication with the nozzle 5 and the upper chamber contains the suction fan 10 and opens into the outlet conduit 8. 'I'he base has an inturned cylindrical flange 11 forming a support for a high speed electric driving motor 12 and the fan. The fan is mounted on the lower end of the shaft of the motor and carries a pulley 13 for driving a brush 14 located in the nozzle, by means of a quarter turned belt 15. Below the belt is an opening to permit access to the belt and which is normally closed by a cover 16. The upper end of the motor is enclosed by a thin sheet metal casing or housing 17 having suitable Ventilating openings 18 in the rear wall thereof. The housing is secured in place by suitablescrews which are angularly spaced and is separated from the motor by a relatively large radial clearance to provide, space for the cushion supports for the motor.

To reduce the noise incident to operation of the cleaner, the motor and fan are rst dynamically balanced as accurately as possible, having due regard for the cost of such an operation.

They are then mounted on the cleaner by an elastic or cushioned suspension. For this purpose, the lower end of the motorcasing is provided with an outwardly extending flange 20 of relatively large diameter and mounted thereon are numerous soft rubber cushions 21 of tubular form and angularly spaced, each being made in two parts as shown in Fig. 3, said parts having a shoulder between them. The lower end of each tube is seated in a metal cup 22 which holds it centrally in place about a stud 23 which is screwthreaded into the iiange 20. The upper end of each stud is shouldered to receive a spacing washer 24 which is of a size and shape to center the upper end of the tube. Each stud is separated from the wall of the cushion by a large radial clearance which arrangement increases the flexibility of the mounting, especially when the motor tends to rock on its support. Above the washers and common thereto is a large thin metal ring 25 and supported thereby is a soft rubber ring 26 of a diameter greater than that of the ring 25. Above the lrubber ring is a second thin metal ring 27. 'I'he upper end of each of the several studs is screw-threaded and provided with a, nut whereby the rings and washer are securely clamped in place. The rubber ring 26 is of such outside diameter as to engage a substantial surface on the wall of the outer casing or housing 17 and thus' maintain contact at all times. As shown, the peripheral edge of the rubber ring is curved downwardly and ts into a curved portion of said housing while the wall defining the bore of the ring engages the cylindrical casing of the motor 12.

'The metal rings 25 and 27 being common to all of the studs 23 serve to support them at their upper ends. The soft rubber ring 26 serves to prevent circulation of air currents between the regions above and below it. It also prevents contact between the metal parts supporting the motor and the housing 17 which would give rise to noise upon vibration of the parts.

To support the motor and fan through the medium of the rubber cushions, a thin metal ring 28 is employed having a bore which is substantially larger than the motor casing to prevent metal to metal contact. The peripheral edge of the ring 28 is seated on the inturned ange 11 of the base. The ring has as many holes 29 as there are cushions, said holes being smaller in diameter than the cushions. The shoulder 30 on each of the upper be observed that whereas the lower wall of the ian chamber is defined by the partition 9, the upper wall is deiined by the motor and the supporting parts therefor. Y

Because the housing 17 is open to the atmosphere through the Ventilating openings 18, it is necessary to shut on the space or chamber between the wall of the housing and the casing of the motor from the fan chamber, and also to prevent dust, etc., from entering the motor casing through its ventilating openings. Furthermore, it is necessary to prevent any vibrations of the motor and ian from being' transmitted to the base of lthe machine. To accomplish this, a molded ring 31 of soit rubber is provided. ,The upper end oi the ring has an outwardly extending ilange which rests on ange 11 o! the base and the lower end has a rounded bead 32 which is seated in a corresponding groove in the anged lower end 20 of the motor casing. In the manufacture of rubber rlngs\31, diillculty was experienced in properly aligning the holes for thel retaining screws with those in the flange 11 oi the housing. .In other words, although the mold had accurately spaced screw holes, the resulting product did not. This diilculty was finally overcome by using a steel insert 33 in the ilange 34 of the rubber ring, Fig. 4. The insert is in the form of a thin metal ring having as many openings as there are retaining screws. The bead 32 and groove in the flange 20 are so related that the bead tightly encloses the metal wall in which the groove is formed, thereby making a tight connection at this point to prevent air. leakage and also the passage of ilne dust into the motor. Because the molded ring 31 is made of soit rubber, it oers no appreciable resistance to vibratory movements of the motor in any direction, and due to its elasticity or yielding nature, prevents the transmission of motor and ian vibrations to the base which would be the case it the ring were of rigid material.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising a base having an inturned flange and containing a ian chamber, a nozzle communicating therewith, a fan in the chamber, a motor for rotating the fan having a flanged casing, a cushioning support for the motor and fan comprising a thin metal ring supported at its periphery by the inturned ange of the base, a plurality of elastic tubular elements carried by the ring and located on opposite sides thereof, studs secured to the flange on the motor casing, means on the upper ends of the studs for securing the elements in place, and an elastic sealing means between the base and said motor flange.

2. A vacuum cleaner comprising a base containing a fan chamber, a nozzle communicating therewith, a fan in the chamber, a discharge conduit, a motor for rotating the ian, having a anged casing, a housing for the motor casing supported by the base and spaced from the motor, a perforated metal ring also supported by the base, elastic elements supported by the ring and extending on opposite sides thereof, studs for securing the elements to the ilange on the motor casing, a second metal ring resting onfrthe ends of the elements remote from the angto which ends of the studs are secured, and a ring of elastic material supported by the studs and engaging the inner wall of the housing for preventing con- I tact between the second ring and the housing.

3. A vacuum cleaner comprising a flanged base containing a fan chamber, a nomle communicating therewith, a discharge conduit for the chamber, a tan in the chamber, a motor for rotating the 1an, means interposed between the gange on. the base and the motor for elastically supporting the latter, and an elastic sealing ring between a part ofthe motor and the base, said ring having a part ensuing the motor, a ilange resting on that of the base, and a metal insert molded within said llange;

4. A vacuum cleaner comprising a base having an inturned flange and containing a ian chamber, said flange having angularly spaced openings to receive retaining screws, a nozzle receiving dust ladened air and delivering it to the chamber, a discharge conduit for the chamber, a Ian in the chamber, a motor for rotating the ian, means resting on the iiange for elastically supporting the motor, and an elastic sealing ring which with the motor defines one wall of the fan chamber, said ring having a part engaging the motor, a ange resting on that oi' the base, and a metal insert molded within the ange, said flange and insert having angularly spaced openings which register with those in the iiange of the base.

5. A vacuumcleaner comprising a base containing a fan chamber, a nozzle communicating therewith, a discharge conduit for the chamber, a ian in the chamber, a motor for rotating the fan, having a hanged casing, a housing for the motor in spaced relation thereto and supported by the base, a metal ring also supported by the base, elastic elements supported bythe ring and extending on opposite sides thereof, studs which extend through the elements and are seated in the ange of the motor casing, and an elastic sealing ring having a ilange at one end resting on the base and clamped in place by the metal ring and at its lower 'end closely iltting the flange on the motor casing to prevent the ilow ot dust ladened air into the housing.

6,. A vacuum cleaner comprising abase containing a fan chamber, a nozzle communicating therewith, a ian in the chamber, a discharge conduit, a 4motor for rotating the tan having a flanged casing, a housing for the motor in spaced relation thereto and supported by the base, a cushioning means carried byv the base for supporting the motor and fan and preventing the transmission of vibrations thereof to the casing, an elastic seal between the base and the motor casing, and a second elastic seal between the housing and the motor casing.

7. A vacuum cleaner comprising a base having a ange and containing a fan chamber, a nozzle, an outlet for the chamber, an electric driving motor for the fan having a supporting flange, and a cushioning support for sustaining the weight of the motor, comprising a thin metal ring attached to the ange of the base and separated from the motor by a radial clearance, a plurality of hollow elastic elements, each having a pair of members, one of which is situated on one side of the ring and the other on the opposite side and seated on the motor ilange, a stud extending through each pair of members which is secured to the motor flange and is separated from the inner wall of said members by a relatively large radial clearance, spacing means for each member carried by the end of the stud remote from the motor ange and a exible member which engages a part of the motor casing and the base and defines a part of the fan chamber.l

8. A vacuum cleaner comprising a chambered base, a fan, a, motor for driving the fan, a housing separated from the motor by a radial clearance and having Ventilating openings, an elastic suspension for the motor carried by the base, an

elastic `sealing means between the motor and v 

